Cross-cultural sexism and the effectiveness of gender (non)traditional advertising: a comparison of purchase intentions in Poland, South Africa, and the United Kingdom

Magdalena Zawisza
,
Russell Luyt
,
Anna Zawadzka
,
Jacek Buczny

Abstract

Findings regarding the effectiveness of (non)traditionally gendered advertisements are mixed and largely emanate from the United
States. We tested the stereotype content model and ambivalent sexism theory cross-nationally in an advertising context and
predicted that paternalistic (vs. envious) female stereotypes will trigger higher purchase intent (PI) irrespective of country
(Hypothesis 1), viewers’ benevolent sexism will positively predict PI for paternalistic housewife advertisements (Hypothesis 2a),
viewers’ hostile sexism will negatively predict PI for envious businesswoman advertisements (Hypothesis 2b), and these relationships
with sexism will be confined to less gender egalitarian countries (i.e., Poland and South Africa) (Hypothesis 3). Statistical
analyses of data from 468 Polish, South African, and British university students supported Hypothesis 1 and partially supported
Hypotheses 2 and 3. The predicted patterns held for South Africa, but in Poland, viewers’ benevolence positively predicted PI for
both advertisement types, with the exception of highly hostile women. British viewers’ hostility positively predicted PI for the
housewife advertisement. Our findings support the cross-cultural applicability of the stereotype content model to advertising and
suggest that the predictive role of sexism changes depending on its type, advertisement type, country, and gender.We recommend
that advertisers should adopt a nuanced approach in predicting the effectiveness of gendered advertisements.